A new app called Snitch'n is the product of Emerge, the new small-business incubator at Simpson College.

"You can touch the picture. It tells you their name, what their crimes were. You can leave anonymous tips if you hit the tip button,” said Polk County detective John Negrete.

It is such a simple idea that Nergrete can't believe it hasn’t been thought of before.

“There are over 3,200 wanted people in the Polk County area and 800 of those are felony warrants,” Negrete said.

He wanted to make Central Iowa wanted pictures available to the public via a cellphone app. But Negrete had no idea how to get started until he talked with his daughter, a senior business major at Simpson College.

"That's what makes it really great is the fact that it's so simple and anyone can use it. All you have to do is swipe your finger,” Emma Negrete said.

Emma took the idea to Emerge, Simpson's new venture accelerator.

Emerge put together a team of interested instructors and talented students, including junior computer science major Thomas Klein.

"The problem that I have is getting the idea. Once I have it I know what to do,” Klein said.

Negrete's idea became the Emerge team's project. The end product, produced in just 20 days, is the appropriately named app Snitch'n.

In less than a month, Snitch'n has been downloaded 500 times and has received five actionable tips. So far one criminal has been caught.

Emerge provides Simpson students a way to use what they learn in the classroom in the real world.

"Allowing people to take what is their real goal of what they want to be expert in and learn to be an expert,” said Chris Draper, Emerge director.

Klein can now take some credit for developing the software.

"It's really good as a student to have something released out into the world,” Klein said.

Negrete hopes the public will help him reduce the number of crooks in the world by downloading the free app.

The app shows wanted criminals from Polk County and a number of central Iowa law enforcement agencies, including the 16-county 5th Judicial District. Snitch'n is available for Apple and Android.